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Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five:
Bobby O’Connor decided to call Sheriff George Anderson. He believes that there is now less animosity between him and the sheriff. Bobby imagines that because of his cooperation during the recent demonstration he may have won him some brownie points with Sheriff George Anderson.
“Hello Sheriff. This is Bobby O’Connor. I want to thank you for allowing me to report on the demonstration in the town commons.”
“No problem, Bobby. I was glad to have you spread the word about my speech to the crowd. For the most part it has been successful in keeping the Ogopogo hunters off the lake,” the sheriff said.
“You said ‘for the most part’. Have there been any violators of your warnings?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that there has,” the sheriff answered.
“It has recently come to my attention that a man was attacked by a marine predator. The witnesses claim it was just a large fish, perhaps a sturgeon, but I have serious problems with their stories. I am not aware of any large fish such as a sturgeon that could cause this type of injury,” Sheriff Anderson said.
“What kind of injury are we talking about, specifically?” Bobby inquired.
“A very severe one. Most of the victim’s right arm was amputated.”
“You mean torn right off?”
“Exactly.”
“Could I speak with the victim? Has his condition stabilized enough that I could talk to him?”
“No, he’s dead,” the sheriff replied. “The man was in very poor health prior to the injury. He had a major heart attack while he was in the hospital.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bobby said.
“What do you think really caused the man’s injury?”
“I don’t know, but our medical examiner, Dr. Marsha Mitchell, will be looking into it,” George replied.
“Have there been any other similar incidents of late?”
“Yes. Dr. Mitchell is looking into another recent incident. Two criminals who had stolen a couple’s boat were reportedly knocked off the boat by a creature with a large green tail.”
“What kind of animal knocked them into the lake?”
“The Harbor Patrol saw the whole incident. Two of their divers went into the lake to look for the two men. What they found was two badly mangled bodies. One man’s torso was almost ripped in half.”
“What kind of animal could have done this?”
“We don’t know. One of the divers reported seeing a very strange, menacing creature that correlates with people’s reported sightings of Ogopogo,” the sheriff said.
“How do you intend to follow up on these incidents?” Bobby inquired.
“I have asked Dr. Marsha Mitchel to call me as soon as she has any more information about what could have attacked the victims. After that I’m going to take my law enforcement staff along to find Ogopogo,” the sheriff said.
“Wow! So you really believe that Ogopogo attacked the victims?”
“What else could it be?”
“When you go out to look for Ogopogo, could you take me along?” Bobby asked.
“I don’t see why not. I’d just have to get it cleared by the Harbor Patrol,” the sheriff said.

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Chapter Ninety-Four
The phone in Sheriff George Anderson’s office rang loudly. George picked it the receiver on the first ring.
“Hello, Sheriff’s office. This is Sheriff Anderson. How can I help you?”
“Hi George. It’s Bobby O’Conner from the Kelowna Daily Courier.”
“What can I do for you Bobby?” the sheriff asked.
“I just called to give you guys a head’s up. I got a phone call from a woman telling me that her group is planning a big demonstration for this afternoon at 2:00 PM.”
“So did she say what they would be demonstrating against?” George asked.
“Yes, their group is called Save Ogopogo. They are protesting against all the people who are on the lake hunting for Ogopogo. The group wants all these weekend warriors off the lake. She sounded very concerned because many of the would- be hunters are packing pistols, rifles, harpoons and any other weapon they can get their hands on. Some crews are bringing along large nets and iron cages in hopes of capturing Ogopogo alive.”
“Yeah, we’ve been getting a ton of complaints here at the sheriff’s office. The phones have ringing off the hook,” George said, with a sigh.
“What I’m really concerned about is the hunters finding out about this demonstration. If they catch wind of this, and they very likely will, there is the potential for a show down and possible violence,” Bobby said.
“You are probably right Bobby. That scenario could very well play out,” George said.
“The woman told me that she has already contacted the local radio stations, television stations and other media outlooks. I know that she’s telling the truth because I have been checking the local blog sites and there are a lot of posts both for and against the Save Ogopogo campaign. I’ll be going to see the demonstration because I have to report what goes down for the newspaper. I just wanted to pass the tip onto the Sheriff’s Office because I don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Bobby explained.
Chapter Ninety-Five
When Sheriff George Anderson, Deputy Bill Rollins and William Everett arrived at the location of the demonstration it was only 1:30 PM. They took a look at Main Street in the center of town. Already a crowd was forming.
“Wow, there’s quite a large group of demonstrators out here already,” George said.” “How many demonstrators would you estimate are out here, Bill?”
“I would guess at least a hundred, Sheriff,” his deputy answered.
“My guess would be around one hundred and fifty,” William Everett added.
“Well, any way you slice it, we’ve got to make sure that this is going to be a peaceful demonstration. If the crowd gets much larger they are going to be that much harder to control,” Sheriff George Anderson said.
“I hear you,” Bill Rollins said.
“To the people in this town, Ogopogo is a very emotional issue.”
“You are right,” William Everett added. “Many people believe that the creature exists and is alive and well living in Lake Okanagan. They do not want their local legend tampered with,”
The three men looked up to see Kelowna Daily Courier reporter, Bobby O’Connor pull up in a silver van. He had a whole news entourage with him including a young attractive female junior reporter, a photographer and a camera technician. As soon as he got out of the van, Bobby huddled with his crew and drew out the game plan for them just like a hockey coach would do. He sent the junior reporter out to interview some of the people holding placards and posters. Bobby asked the video and audio technicians to follow him. They walked towards the sheriff’s cruiser car where George, Bill and William were all standing.
Bobby walked over to Sheriff George Anderson and asked George if he could interview him. Strangely enough, the sheriff was actually welcoming the opportunity of addressing the crowd and the media.
The organisers of Save Ogopogo had already taken over a large stage in the common area. It was beautifully decorated with pictures and artwork of Ogopogo. Large, colorful banners covered with slogans were also clearly visible. A few of the organisers were getting the microphones and speakers set up and were testing both the connection and the volume.
Sheriff George Anderson turned towards Bobby O’Connor and told him to gather up his crew and to follow him to the stage.
As soon as the men arrived at the main stage the sheriff walked up to a woman who appeared to be giving out orders to her charges.
George walked up to the lead organizer. She was a red haired woman with a shapely body that seemed to indicate that she worked out at the local gym on a regular basis. The lady looked like she could be in her late thirties or early forties. She was wearing a yellow tee shirt with red lettering that read, ‘Save Ogopogo’.
The woman saw George climbing up the stairs to the stage.
“What can I do for you, Sheriff? Of course you realize that this is a legal demonstration that has been given full approval by the town council. I have the official papers right here in my purse. I can show them to you.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. What shall I call you?”
“You can just call me Elaine,” the woman answered.
Bobby Conner took a few steps closer to the front of the stage. He looked up at the lead organiser and said, “Hello. My name is Bobby O’Connor. I’m a reporter with the Kelowna Daily Courier. I couldn’t help hearing you telling the sheriff that your first name is Elaine. May I ask you what your last name is for the record?”
“Oh, I know who you are, Mr. O’Connor. You used to report on the Kelowna Rockets when you were a sports reporter. My oldest son is a trainer for the hockey team. You are also the reporter who first broke the story relating to Ogopogo this summer. I must say that you created quite the stir in this town. My full name is Elaine Tanner for the record,” the lead organiser answered.
“Thank you, Ms. Tanner. Would it be possible for me to get an interview with you sometime this afternoon?”
“Certainly, Mr. O’Connor. Perhaps later in the afternoon. I need to have a conversation with Sheriff Anderson first. Oh, and by the way, you can just call me Elaine,”
“And you can just call me Bobby.”
“Before you start addressing the crowd I would like the opportunity to make a speech laying down the ground rules for this demonstration. I don’t want things getting out of hand,” Sheriff Anderson said.
“Oh, I can almost certainly tell you that you won’t have any problems with my organization,” Elaine said.
“That’s not what I’m concerned about. Just take a look at those guys getting out of their four by fours and pick- up trucks. Some of them are carrying tire irons and baseball bats. Those good old boys look like they’re aiming for a skirmish of some kind,” the sheriff said, shaking his head.
‘I think I better grab the microphone right now and make something clear to these would be brawlers.” George added.
George walked up the microphone stand and said, “Test, test.” When he was convinced that he had enough volume to be heard George began speaking to the crowd that was spread all about the town common.
“I can see that there are quite a few of you out here this afternoon. That’s all well and good. We have free speech in this country but I don’t want to see anyone here brandishing any kind of weapon. This is a peaceful town and I intend to keep it that way. All you boys that have tire irons, baseball bats and other assorted weaponry can take all your stuff and put it all back in your vehicles. After all, the demonstrators are only carrying placards and I don’t think it would be a very fair fight.” This remark heralded some loud laughter and applause from the Save Ogopogo demonstrators.
“I’ll now call up to the stage the Head of our Fisheries Department, Dr. William Everett.
William slowly and carefully walked the steps up to the stage. He first looked around the audience trying to get a rough idea of who he would be addressing.
“I’m not used to making many speeches but this afternoon I feel compelled to do so.
Sheriff Anderson and I have received an untold number of complaints about all the boat traffic on the lake. Tourists have been coming to our city in record numbers that we’ve never seen before. Most of the town’s visitors have come for one reason and one reason only. They have come with the intention of hunting or capturing Ogopogo. Now, I’m not saying that I believe that this creature actually exists, but I am aware of the dangerous situation that is taking place on our lake. Let me remind you that Ogopogo, if he is real, is a protected species under our provincial legislation. That means, in plain English, that no one is allowed to harm the creature in any way. If you do get close enough to see Ogopogo, remember that you can take all the photos and videos that you like. You are free to conduct interviews with Bobby O’Connor and his news crew. However, you are not allowed to take any guns on the lake or fire any shots at the creature. I also don’t want to see any harpoons sticking out of Ogopogo’s sides either. I don’t know how many of you have read Moby Dick or how of you may think it’s just John Bonham’s drum solo. But I will tell you this. I don’t want to see any Captain Ahabs out there on Lake Okanagan. If you do feel the need for that kind of adrenaline rush, I suggest you buy yourself a copy of Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick at the town’s bookstore. If you find reading Moby Dick too much of a challenge, I suggest you buy a copy of Jaws by Peter Benchley instead. These statements were followed by much loud laughter from the Save Ogopogo demonstrators.
“Do you have anything to add Sheriff?” William asked.
“Only this. If I see any violent activity occurring this afternoon I will start making arrests and if this crowd gets out of control, I will not hesitate to call in the RCMP,” Sheriff George Anderson stated emphatically. “Elaine the mic is now all yours.”

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Chapter Ninety
William Everett was looking out his office window that overlooked Lake Okanagan. With a look of disgust on his face he turned around to face his assistant, Max Turner.
“Come here, Max, you need to take a look at this.”
Max arose from his chair slowly and carefully. It was one of his bad days when his arthritis was especially painful. He joined William at the front window. “What’s up Will?”
“Look at all the yahoos out there in their speedboats. Most of them have their camcorders and cameras ready. Man, some of them even have weapons with them.”
“What are you going to do, Will?”
“I’m going over to Sheriff Anderson’s office to pay him a visit. This nonsense has to stop,” William said angrily.
Will went out to his car to drive to Sheriff George Anderson’s office.
When William arrived he found a very agitated sheriff talking to his deputy, Bill Rollins.
“I don’t know about you Bill, but I’m going nuts. I’ve been getting phone calls all morning complaining about all the traffic on the lake both on the water and on the surrounding roads,” the sheriff said.
“Same here,” Bill answered. “A lot of the people calling in are really riled up. Some of them are actually yelling at me. They are demanding that we take some action. They don’t feel safe.”
“I can’t say that I blame them. Every idiot that’s out on the lake thinks he’s the almighty hunter who’s going to capture Ogopogo. They are expecting to make a lot of money after they haul in the poor animal.”
Just then Bill Rollins turned around to see William Everett standing outside his office. “Come on in, Will. What can we do for you?”
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. As a matter of fact, that’s the reason I’m here,” Will answered.
“You are referring to the disaster on the lake we’ve got on our hands,” the sheriff said.
“Exactly. What are we going to do about it? Got any ideas,” Will asked.
“The first thing I would suggest is that we get the Harbor Patrol involved. We need to contact them and advise them of the severity of the situation,” George suggested.
“That would be a good start. Secondly, I think we need to have a serious meeting with the local media. We have to get the media on board to help us get the message across to the public that this situation is unacceptable and that law enforcement will take action if this type of behavior continues,” Will said.

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Chapter Eighty-Six:
Jack Kimberley walked over to his kitchen to make himself some coffee. He was still trying to think of a way to get back at Blake Riley. If only he could make a fool out of his former business partner. An idea occurred to Jack.
What if he could prove that Ogopogo did not exist or make it appear that Blake had really had the wool pulled over his eyes.
Then an ingenious thought crossed Jack’s mind. ‘What if he could find a fake Ogopogo? Who did he know who could build one?’
Jack realized that he and newspaper reporter, Bobby O’Connor had a mutual friend. Someone that they both knew from their high school days. His name was Mike O’Grady, the same man who had analyzed Monique Painchaud’s pictures for Bobby.
Jack remembered how Mike always liked to tinker with things when they were in school. He remembered the time that Mike had made a small scale model of Ogopogo for a science project in grade eleven. Jack wondered if Mike still had kept the model after all these years. He knew how he might find out. Jack would phone Bobby O’Connor to ask if he had kept in touch with Mike O’Grady.
Jack immediately got the phone number of The Kelowna Daily Courier that was printed near the bottom of the front page. He dialed the number and a receptionist put him through to Bobby O’Connor.
“Hey, Bobby. It’s Jack Kimberly, man.”
“Jack Kimberly? I haven’t heard from you since high school,” Bobby said, trying to finish chewing a piece of his lemon Danish.
Jack reached for his coffee while he sank back into his favorite black Lazy Boy chair.
“Yeah, it’s been awhile buddy. I was just thinking about you and Mike O’Grady.”
“Mike O’Grady? I just talked to him a few weeks ago. I asked him to look at a couple of photos and to tell me if he thought they were authentic or fakes,” Bobby said, finally having finished his piece of Danish. He sat back in his chair and loosened his tie getting prepared for some pleasurable reminiscing with an old friend.
“How’s Mikey doing these days?” Jack asked.
“Not the greatest. The last decade or so, hasn’t been very kind to him,” Bobby replied.
“Geez, I’m sorry to hear that. What’s been giving Mike trouble?” Jack inquired.

“Well, his health hasn’t been that good. He’s got arthritis in his knees and his back and he’s really obese now.”
At least that hasn’t changed. He and I were the two fattest kids in grade five,” Jack remembered.
“Mike also has emphysema, but he still smokes like a chimney,” Bobby continued. “Because of his poor health he now collects a disability pension. He also makes a little money on the side repairing computers for a few clients and doing some photography.
“Have you ever heard of a guy named Blake Riley?” Jack asked. While he was talking on the phone, Jack was staring straight ahead at one of his own abstract paintings that he had mounted on the wall in front of him. His living room was starting to smell a bit musty so Jack walked over to open up a window.
“Blake Riley? Anyone who is reading my recent articles on Ogopogo knows who Blake Riley is. He’s that rich, eccentric entrepreneur who’s funding the university’s research project on
Ogopogo,” Bobby said, throwing his Danish wrapper in the plastic garbage container to the left of his desk.
“It’s a small world, Bobby. Blake Riley was in our grade six class when we were in elementary school. I don’t know if you remember him from back then. Blake was a tall, skinny kid who always looked dirty. His clothes were worn out and always had holes in them.
“Now I’m starting to remember,” Bobby said, slightly surprised.
“When I interviewed Blake on the phone I never made the connection. Blake didn’t stay long in our class, as I recall,” said Blake, now sitting up straight in his leather upholstered chair.
“You’re right about that. Blake was only in our room for about six months or maybe less. Blake was a bully who used to threaten little kids for their lunch money. Eventually, Mr. Dole, our principal, called in Blake’s mother to discuss the situation. As Blake’s mom was behind on her rent payments she took this as a sign that they should move again to a place that charged lower rent. So Blake ended up having to change schools again,” Jack said.
“Poor kid,” Bobby said.
“Don’t feel too sorry for him,” Jack said, taking a sip of his coffee.
“No one in our class liked him. Blake was a bully, a liar and a thief. A lot of things went missing in our classroom during Blake’s stay with us.”
“Yeah, I recall losing my geometry set and my Batman comic books seemed to mysteriously disappear that year,” Bobby recalled while scratching his head. He now remembered the day that the school nurse found lice in Blake’s hair. “Life is full of surprises. I met up again with Blake Riley when I attended Business College. I couldn’t believe how different he looked. Blake now looked clean and was wearing a new sweater and an expensive pair of dress pants. I asked him about his life after he left our grade six class,” Jack said.
“I wasn’t aware of Blake’s change in character until it was too late. It wasn’t too long after we both graduated from Business College when Blake approached me with a business proposition. Blake had a lot of charisma, and still does in a devious sort of way. I ended up joining Blake’s business venture.
At the beginning our business took off like a rocket. Within a year we were both making more money than we’d ever seen in our lives. Things went smoothly for a few years, then Blake went turncoat on me. He started having an affair with a woman who persuaded Blake to forsake the business that he and I shared to join her in her new business venture. Blake didn’t even pay me the courtesy of letting me know what he had done. Heck, he didn’t even ask me to join the new company that he would help build,” Jack said angrily.

“So, the jerk double crossed you,” Bobby said.
“That’s a huge understatement. Blake was disloyal to me and almost ruined me financially,” Jack replied.
Jack was starting to get red in the face and his blood pressure was starting to spike. Even telling Bobby about this situation caused Jack to relive it.
“So, what are you going to do about it, and how does Mike O’Grady fit into the picture?” Bobby asked, becoming very intrigued with Jack’s story.
“I figure that the best way to get back at Blake is to make a total fool out of him. I want to see him totally humiliated,” Jack answered.
“And how do you plan to accomplish that?” Bobby asked.
“I’ve got a couple of ideas that I hope Mike can help me with.”
“Of course you know all about Blake’s participation and funding of the university’s research project,” Jack stated.
“Of course, I wrote several articles about it,” Bobby said.
“Well, I plan to make that project fall flat on its face.”
“And how exactly are you going to do that? You’ve got me really curious.”
“You’ll be the first to know, but first I have to run my ideas past Mike. Have you got his number handy?” Jack asked.

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Chapter Sixty-Eight
William Everett, the Head of the Province’s Fisheries Department was deeply engrossed in reading The Kelowna Daily Courier.
With a scowl on his face William turned his chair in the direction of his assistant, Max Turner, “Has this whole town gone crazy? Have you read Bobby O’Connor’s latest article on Ogopogo?”
“I thought O’Connor was a sports writer,” Max said taking a long sip from his coffee and moving towards his boss by swivelling around his chair. “He used to cover The Kelowna Rockets games. I don’t know where he got his information from. Every time I’d go to a Rockets game, I’d look up to the press box and see that Bobby was half in the bag before the end of the first period.”
“I thought that he covered the sport’s beat too, but he seems to recently have changed his portfolio. He now is an expert on lake monsters, notably, Ogopogo.”
“Well, I hope he does a better job with that than he does covering junior hockey. He spends more time writing about the fighting during the Rockets games than he does about the team’s skills and abilities,” Max responded.
“You can’t stick that one on O’Connor. The Kelowna Rockets have neither any skills nor any playing ability. He’s got to write about something,” said The Head of the Fisheries Department.
“But I’ll tell you what O’Connor’s fault is. I can blame him for this article. He’s stirring the whole town up writing about all these alleged encounters with Ogopogo. Can you believe this? He thinks that the bodies that recently washed up on the shore of Lake Okanagan have something to do with Ogopogo. I mean, give me a break. Bodies wash up on the shore every summer. People have boating accidents and they drown. They don’t get eaten by Ogopogo,” Everett said as his face started to redden.
“You’ve got to calm down, William. You know what your doctor said about your blood pressure,” Max said with a look of concern on his face.
“I thought you said that Ogopogo was a mythological legend,” Max said.
“Of course the creature is imaginary, but people insist on keeping their favorite myths alive. It provides a little magic to their otherwise boring, ordinary lives,” William Everett said.
“Now listen to this:
O’Connor states that the University of British Columbia’s marine biology department is rumoured to be planning an expedition to search for Ogopogo. This kind of publicity can easily ‘go viral’ in this age of social media. Kelowna, if not all of British Columbia, will become a laughing stock in Canada and potentially around the world,” Everett added emphatically.
Max got out of his chair to refresh his coffee. “Look on the bright side, William. Can you imagine the economic boost this is going to give the tourism industry in Kelowna, and for that matter all of British Columbia?”
“I know this media circus is going to bring in a lot of revenue, but because of that my superiors are going to ask me to give this nonsense my full support,”, Max said, tossing his copy of the Kelowna Daily Courier to the far right hand corner of his oversize desk.”
“You can bet your retirement savings on that,” Max agreed making his way back to his desk.
“Well, I’ll tell you what. They’re not going to get an ounce of my support or approval. Within weeks we’ll have every crackpot and lunatic with a boat hunting for Ogopogo,” Everett said pounding his fist on his desk for added emphasis.
“They could injure or even kill the creature and cause a lot of boating accidents and drownings,” William Everett said continuing his rant.
“Now that’s the second time that you’ve referred to Ogopogo as a real living animal,” Max laughed.
“I don’t believe that Ogopogo’s an actual prehistoric lake monster, like some long extinct species of marine dinosaur, but it could be something living, like a giant eel for instance,” the Head of Fisheries said, trying to explain his previous remark.

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Chapter Fifty-Six
Bobby O’Connor wrapped up his interview with Harvey Perkins, got into his black 1997 Pontiac Grand Am and drove back to his office in the Kelowna Courier building. He was feeling very energized. This was a sensation that Bobby had not felt in a long time. He remembered feeling like this back in his hockey playing days. It reminded him of his prime years when he would be skating down the wing looking for an opening in his opponent’s defense. Bobby would experience a rush of adrenaline as he picked his spot and wound up for what famous hockey commentator Danny Gallivan would call a ‘cannonating’ slap shot. Of course, you couldn’t find the word ‘cannonating’ in the dictionary. It was a word that Danny made up to describe a particularly hard shot.
In just one day, Bobby had come out from under a black cloud of depression and a nauseating hangover.
Today was going to be a different day for Bobby O’Connor. His life was about to change. For today, he could forget about those miserable bus rides with the Kelowna Rockets hockey team. He would not have to listening to some young junior hockey player bragging about his latest sexual conquest. The sports reporter would not have to smell the sickeningly sweet aroma of testosterone and male body odour. Today was going to be different.
Bobby O’Connor entered the offices of The Kelowna Daily Courier and started making his way towards his editor’s office. He had to suck in his gut in order to squeeze by the secretaries and other reporter’s desks. Bobby now weighed close to two hundred fifty pounds and was starting to turn grey around the temples. He could see his editor, Jack Walby sitting back in his black executive’s chair. Bobby chuckled to himself when it occurred to him how much Jack Walby looked like the actor, Ed Asner. At times Bobby had almost slipped up and called Jack, ‘Lou’, the character played by Ed Asner on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Heck, Bobby was waiting for Mary to appear in Jack Walby’s office at any moment.
On Jack’s desk was a picture of his third wife and all his kids from his previous marriages. An opened box of pepperoni pizza was sitting on Jack’s desk. There were three slices of pizza remaining in the box.

Booby knocked on Jack’s door and Jack waved for him to come in. Jack was talking to someone on the phone while cradling a Diet Coke in one hand. A few seconds after Bobby entered his office Jack hung up the phone and motioned for Bobby to take a seat.
Bobby sat facing Jack’s long oak wood desk in a maroon colored leather chair with a slight tear in it.
“So, what’s up Bobby? You got the report on last night’s game?” Jack asked, taking a bite from a pizza slice. “Oh, man, where’s my manners? Help yourself to a slice of pizza, Bobby.”
“Not right now, Jack, but thanks for the offer. Now to answer your first question, I’ve got something much better than a report on a junior hockey game. I’ve started gathering material for a breakthrough series of articles,” Bobby said.
Chapter Fifty-Six
“What are you talking about? I’m already feeling that I might be sorry I asked,” the editor said cleaning his hands with a white napkin.
“We’re talking about cutting edge science, Jack. I’ve recently interviewed a few people who claimed to have seen Ogopogo. I’ve even got a couple of pictures that I had verified by a photographic expert.”
“Ogopogo? What does that have to do with The Kelowna Rockets? Are they looking for a new logo?” Jack asked chuckling as he threw his crumpled up napkin into a nearby dark green garbage can.
Booby sat up and leaned forward towards his editor’s desk. “I’m very serious about this one. It could be a great scoop for The Kelowna Daily Courier.”
“Come on, Bobby, you’re a sports writer. Shouldn’t you pass this material on to a reporter who covers science or the local news?”
“Absolutely not. This is my story. Anyway, aren’t you the one who told me I had to come up with more exciting stories?”
“Yeah, I am,” Bobby’s editor answered.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
“Well, this is where it begins. Anyway, I’m tired of covering junior hockey. I’m a university grad and my interests and talents expand way beyond covering the sports beat.” Bobby said.
“So you’re telling me that you want to broaden your horizons?” his editor asked.
“Exactly.”
“Well, come to think of it, I was recently talking to the sheriff, George Anderson. We play on the same bowling team. He was telling me that there has been a record number of Ogopogo sightings this summer,” Jack Walby said.
“That’s what I heard too.”
Have you heard about Ida Rhodes? Jack asked.
“Isn’t she the old lady who went missing when she took her dog for a walk along the banks of Lake Okanagan?” Bobby asked.
“That’s the one. The sheriff told me that a lot of people in town think that Ida and her dog may have encountered Ogopogo. George’s deputy, Bill Rollins, also told him that his son and one of his young friends got quite a scare recently near the same area where Ida Rhodes and her dog disappeared. Why don’t you arrange an interview with the sheriff and his deputy?” the editor asked.
“You mean I’ve got your permission to work on my new field of interest?” Bobby asked twisting around in his chair.
“Yeah, why not? I’ve been thinking it over. I’ve probably had you working the sports beat too long,” the editor sighed.
Chapter Fifty-Eight:
Bobby couldn’t wait another second to get to his desk and start writing his first newspaper article on Ogopogo. What follows is Bobby O’Connor’s first draft of the article:
There have long been rumours of a mysterious creature or creatures that inhabit Lake Okanagan. This unknown animal is known as Ogopogo and first was mentioned in First Nations legends. They called Ogopogo, the Lake Demon. There have been many reported sightings of the creature since that time, often as many as ten per year. Most people doubt the existence of a sea monster in Lake Okanagan and claim that it is a mythical creature. They state that the reported sightings are either hoaxes or are reports of people who have mistakenly seen some other object or phenomena.
Then there are the true believers who claim to have actually had a real sighting or close encounter with Ogopogo. There have also been reports of persons who have gone missing while near Lake Okanagan,
This summer has seen an unusually high number of reports of Ogopogo. This reporter has interviewed some of the people that have had close encounters with the creature.
I have talked with two very credible young people known as Ryan and Monique. They told this writer that they had recently seen Ogopogo while they were out jogging near the banks of the lake. Monique was able to take two pictures of an unusual phenomenon that she and Ryan claim is Ogopogo. I have had a photographic expert check these photos out and he assured me that they have not been tampered with. Around the same time two local fishermen also sighted an unusual object approximately one hundred meters distant from their boat. I have had the opportunity to talk to one of the fishermen in person and he is firmly of the belief that what they saw was Ogopogo.

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Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Two:
Blake Riley’s boat took another bump from underneath the vessel. This time it was powerful enough to shake the whole ship.
“What the heck was that?” Blake said, turning in the direction of the ship’s captain, Peter Marks.
“Well, it isn’t a submersible. My guess is that it’s a very large living creature,” Peter answered.
“Such as Ogopogo?” Blake asked.
“It’s possible sir. I am not aware of another creature in Lake Okanagan that could give your ship a jar like that,” Peter stated.
“Get Dr.Hardyfor me. I think he’s below the main deck checking the sonar readings,” Blake said to Keesha, one of the university students.
Keesha didn’t have to go far as Lionel was already making his way to the main deck.
“Dr. Hardy, something very large has hit the boat twice already,” Blake said.
“I’m aware of that. That’s why I ran up the stairs to the main deck. The sonar readings I was getting suggested a very large object indeed, perhaps as large as fifty feet long,” Lionel said.
“Could it be Ogopogo?” Blake asked.
“I would hazard a guess that it is,” Lionel answered solemnly.
“Why does it want to attack our boat? I thought that Ogopogo is not an aggressive animal,” Blake said.
“At the present time we don’t have very much evidence concerning the creature’s aggression, one way or the other. There has been the odd report by a swimmer or a water skier in Lake Okanagan that claims that Ogopogo was pursuing them,” Lionel answered.
A third hit now struck the boat strong enough to allow some water to spray onto the main deck.
“Why is the creature doing this? What does it want with us?” Blake asked.
Ryan Richards walked towards Blake and Lionel.
“I have a theory,” Ryan said. The Ogopogo that is attacking the ship probably saw us capture the replica with our large fishing nets.”
By this time Kyle Winter had also stepped up to join in the discussion.
“Ryan’s right. Ogopogo likely thinks that we will try to capture him too. The creature is probably unaware that the replica wasn’t a real Ogopogo.”
“You guys could be right. My concern is how many bumps my ship can take before the creature causes some serious damage,” Blake said.
A voice was heard a few feet away. It was John Richards. “I’m worried about that too, but I’m also afraid that Ogopogo may try to climb aboard to rescue the replica.”
“So what should we do?” Blake asked, who was now looking anxious.
“My suggestion is that we throw the replica back into the lake,” John said.
“I agree. That makes sense to me. Maybe if Ogopogo thinks that we’ve set his friend free, he will leave us alone,” Lionel said.
Peter Marks was now set to take charge again. He grabbed a megaphone and said, “I need all hands on deck. We’re going to need lots of muscle power to lift the replica up and throw it back in the lake.”
Chapter One Seventy-Three:
Dr. Marsha Mitchell was in her office trying to catch up on some of her files when she heard her phone ring.
“Hello. Dr. Mitchell. This is Sheriff George Anderson. I’m calling to give you a heads up that you will soon be getting three more clients. I received a call from one of the surgeons at the hospital, Dr. Phillip Garvey. He told me that his first patient had died on the operating table. He was a man named Mike O’Grady. Mike had most of his right arm torn off by an unknown animal in Lake Okanagan. By the time his crew got him to the hospital it was too late. The poor man had lost a great deal of blood and was in very poor health prior to his injury. The doctor said that Mr. O’Grady died of from a massive heart attack while he was on the operating table.”
“That’s horrible. What happened to the other two men?” Marsha asked.
“They were DOA when they got to the hospital. These two men were criminals who stole an old couple’s boat, but they didn’t need to die in such a horrible manner. They were enjoying a couple of beers on the main deck when they were suddenly knocked off their boat by a very large green tail. The Harbor Patrol divers found the two bodies of the criminals. They were mauled very badly. One man’s leg was torn off above the knee and the other guy’s torso was almost torn in two,” Sheriff Anderson stated.
“One of the divers got a good look at the animal that caused the destruction. All he could tell me, on the record, was that the animal was an unidentifiable marine predator. Off the record, he told me he was sure that it was Ogopogo.”
“This sounds very similar to the Ida Rhodes case,” Dr. Mitchell observed.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Four:
Susan Richards felt both shocked and honored by Winston Standfield’s invitation to join him on his expedition. She feared for Stephanie’s safety, but also realized just how much being on this this expedition meant to Stephanie. Susan also could not help but notice the attraction growing between her daughter and Garry Hardy. She knew that if she denied this expedition to Stephanie, her daughter would probably hold a grudge for the rest of her life. Let’s face it, this scientific expedition was an opportunity to make history.
Susan had to admit that she, too, was getting excited by this once in a life time chance to be a part of something that could turn out to be really significant.
It was getting late but Susan was still continuing her conversation with Winston. She was asking him detailed questions about Ogopogo and about his methodology in his search for Ogopogo.
“The pictures and videos that we took turned out very well. The video taken with the camcorder is a bit shaky because of my combination of excitement and fear when I saw Ogopogo. I am sure that these photos and videos will be very important in establishing Ogopogo’s existence. However, my goals go beyond just having photographic and video evidence. I want to find out what kind of animal Ogopogo is. I want to know if he is a previously unknown, undiscovered creature, or if Ogopogo is an evolved version of a previously known prehistoric animal. The marine biologist inside me needs to know the answers to these questions,” Winston said.
“How do you plan to determine this?” Susan said, starting to feel sleepy.
“Susan, I can see that you’re getting very drowsy and you’ve had a long day. I have another spare room in my cottage for you and Stephanie. I will show both of you to your rooms so that you can have a good night’s rest,” Winston said.
“Thank you, Winston. I greatly appreciate this.”

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Five:
Bobby O’Connor decided to call Sheriff George Anderson. He believes that there is now less animosity between him and the sheriff. Bobby imagines that because of his cooperation during the recent demonstration he may have won him some brownie points with Sheriff George Anderson.
“Hello Sheriff. This is Bobby O’Connor. I want to thank you for allowing me to report on the demonstration in the town commons.”
“No problem, Bobby. I was glad to have you spread the word about my speech to the crowd. For the most part it has been successful in keeping the Ogopogo hunters off the lake,” the sheriff said.
“You said ‘for the most part’. Have there been any violators of your warnings?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I suspect that there has,” the sheriff answered.
“It has recently come to my attention that a man was attacked by a marine predator. The witnesses claim it was just a large fish, perhaps a sturgeon, but I have serious problems with their stories. I am not aware of any large fish such as a sturgeon that could cause this type of injury,” Sheriff Anderson said.
“What kind of injury are we talking about, specifically?” Bobby inquired.
“A very severe one. Most of the victim’s right arm was amputated.”
“You mean torn right off?”
“Exactly.”
“Could I speak with the victim? Has his condition stabilized enough that I could talk to him?”
“No, he’s dead,” the sheriff replied. “The man was in very poor health prior to the injury. He had a major heart attack while he was in the hospital.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bobby said.
“What do you think really caused the man’s injury?”
“I don’t know, but our medical examiner, Dr. Marsha Mitchell, will be looking into it,” George replied.
“Have there been any other similar incidents of late?”
“Yes. Dr. Mitchell is looking into another recent incident. Two criminals who had stolen a couple’s boat were reportedly knocked off the boat by a creature with a large green tail.”
“What kind of animal knocked them into the lake?”
“The Harbor Patrol saw the whole incident. Two of their divers went into the lake to look for the two men. What they found was two badly mangled bodies. One man’s torso was almost ripped in half.”
“What kind of animal could have done this?”
“We don’t know. One of the divers reported seeing a very strange, menacing creature that correlates with people’s reported sightings of Ogopogo,” the sheriff said.
“How do you intend to follow up on these incidents?” Bobby inquired.
“I have asked Dr. Marsha Mitchel to call me as soon as she has any more information about what could have attacked the victims. After that I’m going to take my law enforcement staff along to find Ogopogo,” the sheriff said.
“Wow! So you really believe that Ogopogo attacked the victims?”
“What else could it be?”
“When you go out to look for Ogopogo, could you take me along?” Bobby asked.
“I don’t see why not. I’d just have to get it cleared by the Harbor Patrol,” the sheriff said.